Re: question re using citations

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Date: Fri, 07 Feb 1997 08:14:21 -0500 (CDT)
From: NORGARDC@jade.vic.uh.edu
Subject: Re: question re using citations
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Mary Nell,

I, too, have experienced the frustrations with the lack of citations.  
When pressed, students have told me that their professors don't 
really care if they have citations, that their professors aren't that 
particular where they get the information as long as the paper says 
something.  I find this practice appalling.  If we don't emphasize 
the importance of crediting secondary sources, we are encouraging 
students to plagiarize.

Also, their idea of "changing it up" usually is to change several 
words. I teach an advanced writing and research course where I 
have students paraphrase and summarize passages in class.  Even after 
I thoroughly explain to them how to correctly do both, they still 
basically copy, changing only a few words.  Or, they grab the 
thesaurus and substitute synonyms for key words, not bothering to 
reread to make sure those words will work within the context they are 
using them.  I am always amazed with what they come up with.  

More professors should check whether students are accurately 
presenting the information they use from secondary sources and should 
require internal citations.  But, I know here that most professors 
don't think that is their job.  We are supposed to take care of that 
in the writing course.

I better stop before I really get up on my soapbox.

Chari Norgard
University of Houston-Victoria